Repentance
by Maidenstear
Summary: Ayame thinks about his treatment of Yuki in the past oneshot


Aneko: Fwah…Spring break is here, but I feel exhausted all of a sudden…it seems a while back I was struck with fanfiction fever, because I was posting pretty fast. It seems to have abandoned me now…sorry if anyone is disappointed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. I'm not that much of a genius…sadly…

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Repentance

_It's not as if I've forgotten…_

"Ayame. Ayame, are you listening to me?!"

Ayame looked up from his food. "Yes, Mother."

"You are to treat your younger brother with the respect he deserves. He is the rat, and when he is old enough, Akito has requested he go live with him. Until then, we must make sure he is well taken care of, so Akito will be pleased."

"Yes, Mother." Ayame replied. He finished eating, and a maid took his plate. "Forgive me, I have work for school…" Not waiting for his mother's reply, Ayame got up from his spot, walking down the hall to his room.

On his way, he passed Yuki's room. As he did, he glanced in. The child had already put in his crib to sleep by a maid, but he was not asleep yet. The infant looked at Ayame as he stopped at the door. Ayame found himself staring into a pair of large, deep, amethyst eyes. Though he was not yet a year old, light gray hair was already beginning to cover his head. He regarded his brother silently.

Looking away, Ayame continued walking forward. From birth, his brother had been a very quiet child, seldom crying loudly like most infants, even when in pain. He would cry, but they were silent tears.

As he entered his bedroom, Ayame only vaguely wondered why.

* * *

"Yuki! Stop it! I'll hit you!"

Ayame stopped walking as his mother's voice rang out warningly. He looked towards the entrance of the house and noticed his mother pulling on Yuki's arm, trying to force him to his room to change out of his kimono and into other clothes.

Today was the day he had been summoned to Akito. Mother was thrilled. When Yuki had been told this, though, he immediately resisted.

Everyone was confused, and Mother was getting annoyed. All of a sudden, the quiet boy, still, after several years, was fighting what he was told to do.

From the look on Yuki's face he didn't understand either. Ayame knew, though, that it was the same thing each of the zodiac members felt-joy and fear.

Yuki had become wide-eyes at the first mention of Akito, becoming difficult. Ayame walked away as the sound of his Mother's slap on Yuki's cheek was heard throughout the house.

Yuki's stunned reaction gave her time to force him into his room to get ready to go see Akito.

* * *

Ayame sat at the New Year's feast, conversing with Hatori and being his usual flamboyant self with Shigure.

Suddenly Shigure stopped laughing, nodding towards the head of the table.

Ayame turned to look, and saw that Akito had just arrived; and slightly behind him, like a pet on a chain, was none other than the person he vaguely remembered as his little brother.

Akito sat, which signaled Yuki he was allowed to sit as well. He sat and looked up silently at the other jyunnishi.

Seeing his brother watching him, he looked back, silently begging his brother for help.

Ayame looked emotionlessly at the younger child beside Akito. Surely that couldn't be fear in his eyes?

_Of course it's not_, Ayame decided, shrugging off the thought, _he is the rat, Akito's favorite. Why should he be unhappy?_

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Ayame was walking home alone after the feast. He had done it every year since he was small, since his parents weren't zodiac members. Hearing a small creak on the wood floor behind him, he turned and saw Yuki standing behind him. The child reached out one trembling hand for his brother, his eyes once again pleading for help and comfort.

Ayame shrugged off the hand, and walked away.

_There's no reason for him to be sad. He is the rat…_

…_It's not as if I've forgotten…_

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Aneko: Well I hope you liked it. I tried my best to understand what Ayame felt later, when he was talking to Tohru. Umm…I'm not sure if I spelled Jyunnishi right, so I'm sorry if I didn't.


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